Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-10
AN METEOROLOGICAL IDYL.
THE GOBLIN MOTH.

THE GOBLIN MOTH.
1t was cosy little room with bright
red carpet. The gaslight was reflected by
the glass and polished walnut of three
high book cases. The only sound was that
of the professors pen at his desk as it
scratched rapidly along the paper and
added sentences and paragraphs to his
lengthy and exhaustive treatise on I" The
Goblin Moth" Every now and then he
would strike a knotty problem and stop,
his pen uplifted. His brow would knit
and his Saxon face would gather together
with the concentration of thought; his
short, curly hair would seem to bend over
his high white forehead to admiringly
peep at the working of his faculties, and
his placid blue eyes would gaze sternly
through his spectacles upon the point at
issue. Clearly it was useless for the cod
lin moth to attempt to conceal anything
from his unrelenting pursuit In his neat
gray suit he was big, square-framed man
of 45, the professor. All science held for
him the fascination which the search after
truth exerts upon every true student. But
his chosen field was entomology. Bugs
were his hobby.
A piano, which for some time had been
sounding IN desultory and aimless kind
Of way IN an adjacent room, ceased its
echoes. There was the rustling of brown
silk dress, and the professors wife entered
the library. She stopped, looked over at
the professor, hesitated, and then sat
quietly down in an easy chair without
a word. She was -, and they had been
married year.
She was a plump little woman, who
walked with graceful dignity. She had
a composed, thoughtful face, with fine,
dark eyes, which could evidently be deeply
sympathetic as well as very merry. There
was a firm look about her mouth lines
which indicated selt-possession and self
reliance. Altogether she seemed very
sensible and Enthusiastically pretty.
When she sat down she picked UP a
book at random from stand and opened
it in the middle She began to read in a
somewhat distracted, half-interested way.
and she fell to thinking She looked
long time, then she leaned her head back
and gazed tixedly at one of the arabesques
in the freseo in the ceiling. Several times
she looked over at the professor wistfully
She yawned once and looked little tired
and bored She had apparently nothing
10 do that she wished to do. She evidently
wanted the professor. She sat still for
awhile longer Then she picked up an
evening paper to read it over again. The
rustic of the paper attracted the professors
attention, and he looked around.
All IS it you dear?" he said pleas
antly
She went over to him and looked down
at his work. Her hand strayed to his
forehead and slowly smoothed the curls
" How are you getting on ?'' she said.
''Fine-splendidly. A week more and
it will be finished"
" Il will never be finished" she said
ruefully, slipping down to a seat on his
knee.
"Oh, but it will See, 1 have only
Linn's observations to analyze and finish
the experiments on the last lot, and then
why, it is done"
And then you will not work any more
at night"
every little. There is only that paper
for the next meeting and the report for the
year to do. That will not take long. Not
long, not long my little Aphis," he said
loosely as he kissed her on the cheek.
The Aphis was the prettiest bug he knew
of.
She twined her arms around his neck
and laid her cheek beside his.
"Oh, dearie, l do loveyou so,' she muir
INJURED earnestly, but somewhat irrele-
vanity
Not more than do you, my treasure, y
he said tenderly.
He talked with her for little while,
and she was bright and happy But very
soon she caught his eye wandering over
her shoulder to the closely-written sheets,
and she kissed him and dutifully rose.
"You viii not work late" she said, half
pleadipgly See 1t is II o'clock, and
YOU have been writing since T."
Not ten minutes, my dear. Not ten
minutes
"Surely ?" she asked.
"Surely." She kissed him and again
went out
But the bronze clock on the mantel had
struck midnight half an hour agone be-
fore the professor stopped his work and
thoughtfully went to bed. And even then
pulling question followed, and did not
leave him until he fell asleep
The volume was not finished in a week,
or in a month. The Goblin moth had as
many relations as if it had come from
Louisville, KY, and all those relations had
to be studied, analysed and placed in order
that the world, which for long time had
been in heathenish ignorance concerning
this microscopic but very important apple,
destroyer, might have its gnaw-
ing curiosity gratifed. The professor
was in excellent spirits all the time
He could scarcely finish his dinner